Stott Center vacancy

Four years ago, Ken Bone likely never imagined experiencing the success that he has as men’s basketball coach. Now, Bone has departed for the greener pastures of the Palouse and the latest head coaching position at Portland State has become open.

Athletic director Torre Chisholm, reached on his cell phone in Detroit while taking part in the Final Four weekend, said that there would be several criteria for finding Bone’s replacement.

“We want to do it quickly,” Chisholm said. “We would like to have it done before the national spring signing date [April 15].”

Chisholm said that the candidate would likely have Division I experience, at least at the assistant coaching level.

He also added that the department would look for someone who has been successful at multiple programs, a characteristic he said would demonstrate the candidates ability to produce winning results despite the circumstances.

The other characteristic that Chisholm noted would be important was that the new coach should possess the ability to be a strong recruiter in the Northwest.

These characteristics may limit the department in some areas, as few assistant or head coaches possess all of the attributes. Nevertheless, Chisholm said that the slate was clean in the coaching search.

The Vanguard takes a closer look at the potential candidates that could be hired for the job. 

Tyler Geving
Last job: associate head coach, Portland State
Alma mater: Central Washington, 1996

Geving, the Vikings associate head coach for the last two seasons, would seem to be the frontrunner for the job. He has 15 years of experience coaching in the Northwest, but has only had a head coaching position for one season at Edmonds Community College.

Typically seen on the sidelines sporting an intense scowl, Geving has been given much of the credit for attracting recruits to Portland State and making in-game defensive adjustments.

Bone considered Geving his right-hand man and sources close to the team say that he would be a terrific fit for the Vikings as they move forward in their quest for a third-straight conference championship.

Cameron Dollar
Last job: assistant coach at Washington
Alma mater: UCLA, 1997

Dollar has spent the last seven years as one of Lorenzo Romar’s assistant coaches after a solid career at UCLA.  Like Bone had, Dollar has spent ample time learning the ropes from one of the best coaches in the Pac-10 Conference.

While he originally was from Atlanta, Ga., Dollar has spent time as a coach at St. Louis and Georgia, in addition to spending one year as Southern California College’s head coach. He was the youngest head coach in the nation, 22 years old, at the time.

Leon Rice
Last job: associate head coach at Gonzaga
Alma mater: Washington State University, 1986

Rice joined the Gonzaga staff in 1999 but boasts extensive background in coaching in the Northwest. He previously has coached at Yakima Valley College and as an assistant at Oregon and Big Sky rival Northern Colorado.

The success that Gonzaga has while Rice has been a part of the staff—a 236-60 record—is nearly unmatched.

He could be a candidate that might slip under the radar, but Mark Few, Gonzaga’s head coach, has had a winning impact rub-off on some of his former assistants.

Ray Giacoletti
Last job: assistant coach at Gonzaga
Alma mater: Minot State University, 1985

Giacoletti has previous coaching experience at Eastern Washington and led the Eagles to their first and only NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004.

Following his time in Cheney, Giacoletti was the head coach at Utah, where he compiled a 54-40 record before spending the last two years at Gonzaga. His knowledge and experience are unmatched, but he could come at an inexpensive price as he is looking to get his feet into a head coaching position once again.